The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Toddler Gun Safety vs. Firearm Accessibility

**44 AMP** · July 5, 2010, 01:28 PM

Grew up in a house with guns, and not all locked in a safe or closet. So did my parents, and their parents, and probably so on back to flintlocks. My kids grew up in a house with guns, as well.

My children also had the benefit of seeing and knowing what guns do when fired. Including killing animals. Train your kids the right way, and you won't have problems.

Unfortunately, few people these days do, or even can. There aren't even as many adults who know (and do) whats right as there used to be.

For many years, while the kids were toddlers, I kept a .45, mag loaded chamber empty as my go to gun. And I would test the kids to see if they could load it. By the time they were big enough to pull back the slide, they were big enough to know and understand why not to.

Even the dumbest acting kid is not stupid. They just need to be taught in a way they can understand. Yes, they are curious little house apes, but once they know and understand something, the curiosity goes away, and so does the interest.

For goodness sake, get that gun off the magnet in your closet, unless the closet door locks and you have the key on you! Leave a kid curious and unsupervised and they will find a way to get to it. Count on it!

Sad thing, most parents today can't/won't take the time (and effort) needed to train children properly. Too busy making a living or doing something else to bother with it, I guess. If your TV is your babysitter (or an ignorant teenager) best have things locked up.

July 5, 2010, 01:28 PM	#20
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,832	Grew up in a house with guns, and not all locked in a safe or closet. So did my parents, and their parents, and probably so on back to flintlocks. My kids grew up in a house with guns, as well. My children also had the benefit of seeing and knowing what guns do when fired. Including killing animals. Train your kids the right way, and you won't have problems. Unfortunately, few people these days do, or even can. There aren't even as many adults who know (and do) whats right as there used to be. For many years, while the kids were toddlers, I kept a .45, mag loaded chamber empty as my go to gun. And I would test the kids to see if they could load it. By the time they were big enough to pull back the slide, they were big enough to know and understand why not to. Even the dumbest acting kid is not stupid. They just need to be taught in a way they can understand. Yes, they are curious little house apes, but once they know and understand something, the curiosity goes away, and so does the interest. For goodness sake, get that gun off the magnet in your closet, unless the closet door locks and you have the key on you! Leave a kid curious and unsupervised and they will find a way to get to it. Count on it! Sad thing, most parents today can't/won't take the time (and effort) needed to train children properly. Too busy making a living or doing something else to bother with it, I guess. If your TV is your babysitter (or an ignorant teenager) best have things locked up. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.